Barack Obama

WASHINGTON -- Michael Gerson, who knows a thing or two about presidential speeches, says that President Barack Obama's Monday night address to the nation about the debt ceiling really wasn't about anything at all. The president was merely getting a jump on the blame game rather than advancing a new argument or reframing the debate. Gerson, chief speechwriter for George W. Bush, may know of what he speaks, but I respectfully beg to differ. Obama wasn't just blaming, though he did plenty of that.

"Great nations need organizing principles, and 'Don't do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle. " - Hillary Clinton, The Atlantic, Aug. 10 Leave it to Barack Obama's own former secretary of state to acknowledge the fatal flaw of his foreign policy: a total absence of strategic thinking. Mind you, Obama does deploy grand words proclaiming grand ideas: the "new beginning" with Islam declared in Cairo, the reset with Russia announced in Geneva, global nuclear disarmament proclaimed in Prague (and playacted in a Washington summit)

WASHINGTON -- Remember NASA? It once represented to the world the apogee of American scientific and technological achievement. Here is President Obama's vision of NASA's mission, as explained by administrator Charles Bolden: "One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math; he wanted me to expand our international relationships; and third and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to...

In the summer of 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama was asked if he was worried that his proposed withdrawal from Iraq would result in ethnic cleansing or even genocide. He scoffed at the premise. "By that argument, you would have 300,000 troops in the Congo right now - where millions have been slaughtered as a consequence of ethnic strife - which we haven't done," he told The Associated Press. "We would be deploying unilaterally and occupying the Sudan, which we haven't done. Those of us who care about Darfur don't think it would be a good idea.

*Al Gore is backing Sen. Barack Obama and says he'll do whatever he can to help him get to the White House. The former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate in 2000 also is asking for donations to help fund Obama's effort -- the first time he has asked members of his Web site AlGore.com to contribute to a political campaign. *Obama said he will visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election. Obama has said he was considering a trip, but his comment to reporters Monday was his first firm declaration that he will do so. He said more details would be announced.

Time magazine has named Barack Obama the Person of the Year. The announcement came Wednesday morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe. " Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time, said, "Obama reperesents a cultural shift in terms of how we think about politics, how we think about government, how we think about each other. " Stengel said it was "kind of impossible to do an alternative choice" because Obama had been such a dominant figure. What do you think?

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois officially will become the Democratic Party's nominee next week. A Bears fan, he answered our football-related questions via e-mail. You grew up in Hawaii. Who did you root for? The Steelers. Did you want Brett Favre to quarterback the Bears? "He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Any team would be lucky to have him. The guy just wins football games -- and he makes those around him better. But I will tell you -- I do feel better that the Bears don't have to play him twice a year anymore."

The most-discussed news magazine this weekend will be "60 Minutes. " CBS News has announced that President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will sit for their first joint interview. Steve Kroft will interview Obama and Clinton on Friday at the White House. Expect the president to lavishly praise his departing secretary of state. CBS News said it is the first joint interview Obama has done with anyone other than first lady Michelle Obama. You can catch "60 Minutes" at 7 p.m. Sunday on WKMG-Channel 6. An excerpt of the interview aired Friday on the "CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley.

David Gregory of NBC's "Meet the Press" made the biggest headlines last weekend by interviewing Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association. (There was also the matter of Gregory displaying a gun magazine.) It's a good bet that Gregory will make the biggest headlines this weekend: President Barack Obama is an exclusive guest on "Meet the Press. " The fiscal cliff will be the main topic. "We'll hear directly from the president about where things stand and whether a compromise is possible," the show's website says.

I have not determined for whom I shall vote in the upcoming presidential primary. However, I have been subjected to misleading statements about Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. In the course of conversation with an intelligent lady, I was informed by her that Obama had been raised by Muslims and that he was a practicing Muslim. While reading The New York Times this week, there was an op-ed column by Roger Cohen in which he quotes Obama as saying: "I am a Christian." The lady to whom I refer is an aspiring United Methodist pastor.

The acceptance of man-made climate change will come quickly when we can see the rise in ocean levels in populated areas. It's ironic that the GOP-led House has voted to sue President Obama for giving businesses more time to comply with the Affordable Care Act. Aren't Republicans supposed to be pro-business? Are automobile companies going to put ashtrays back into cars for those who can legally smoke pot? Where does the insanity in this country end? Rep. Paul Ryan has a plan to fight poverty by involving community groups and their leaders.

Congratulations to time-share magnate David Siegel , who seems to have mounted quite the comeback. In the past few weeks alone, Siegel has made headlines for buying a football team, the Cocoa Beach pier - even a big new casino in Las Vegas. Nicely done, David! It's all especially impressive, considering you told us that, if Barack Obama were re-elected, you might have to abandon your business - maybe even leave the country. You remember that, right? It was in 2012 when you made national news for telling your employees that, before they voted, they should know that re-electing Obama might cost them their jobs.

On Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in and began his historic presidency, facing immense challenges but riding a tide of hope for success. A year later, here's what he has done and left undone-and where he has deferred. Actions completed Children's health care: In February, Obama signed legislation to expand publicly funded health insurance for children. His predecessor, President George W. Bush, had blocked similar measures. The bill aimed to provide government-subsidized insurance to 4 million mostly low-income children, reducing the number of uninsured children by half, and was funded primarily by an increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.

Yes, it is true that there was no al-Qaida in Iraq when George W. Bush took office. But it is equally true that there was essentially no al-Qaida in Iraq remaining when Barack Obama took office. Which makes Bush responsible for the terrible costs incurred to defeat the 2003-09 jihadist war engendered by his invasion. We can debate forever whether those costs were worth it, but what is not debatable is Obama's responsibility for the return of the Islamist insurgency that had been routed by the time he became president.